Improved burnishing-machine



Nv PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON4 Dvc.

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE@ CHARLES H. HELMS, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED BURNISHENG-NIACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 51,180, dated November 2B, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HELMS, of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Burnishing the Heels of Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full description of the same. l

The nature of my invention consists, first, in combining two rollers or burnishers in a frame, so as to burnish two sides of the heel at the same time, and affording a suitable support or rest to sustain the pressure of the heel, iirmly and steadily upon the burnishers, that it may be nished up by the single operation almost of a rotation of the heel on the burnishers; second, in the combination, with the two revolving burnishers7 of a jet or jets of ignited gas, acting upon the burnishers for the purpose of heating them, to give the requisite finish to the heel; third,in the combination, with the two revolving.;` burnishers, ot' an elastic rubber or planisher, for keepin g the surfaces 0f the burnishing-rollers bright and with a highly-polished surface, so as to give to the heel a perfectly smooth hard enamel-like iinish.

But, to describe my invention more particularly, I will refer to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the same letters of reference, wherever they occur, referring to like parts.

Figure l is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front view ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Letter A is a metal frame of any suitable size and form for the purpose of supporting the bearings of the burnishing-roller spindles, as shown at B, where a hollow axle or box projects back from the upright of the frame for the purpose of giving to the burnishers the requisite amount of steadiness of rotatory motion. In these boxes are arranged on the same horizontalline two spindles, G,which are geared together by two cog-wheels, D, on their back ends, and rotated by means of a pulley, E, on the end of one, the spindles communicating with any suitable propelling power.

On the front end of the spindles are secured metal (or other suitable material) burnishingrollers F. These rollers are somewhat conical in form, with a slight curve outward, so as to coliform to the shape ot' the heel7 and at the same time have their peripheries slightly tinted parallel with their axis, so as to produce a wave-line of gradual undulations of surface of not more than the sixteenth of an inch in depth. The object of this is to present to the surface of the heel more acute angles of the burnishers than would be the case if their surfaces were perfectly level, and, as a matter of course, act with much greater energy upon the heel to harden and finish its surface up.

Letter Gr are two gas-burners, which are arranged in any suitable manner so as to canse jets of iiame to impinge upon the internal surface of the bnrnishers, and thereby communicate to them the requisite amount of heat to burnish and nish up the heel.

Letter H is an elastic rubber or planisher, which is supported upon a stud, I, elevated from the bed or frame of the machine so as to bring the upper end of it directly between the two burnishers and in contact with them. By this means, and with the use of fine Tri poli powder, or other suitable material, dusted upon the rubber, I keep the burnishers constantly bright and highly polished to finish the heel.

The operation of the machine is to place the heel of the boot or shoe between the burnishers and resting against the back plate, and then turn it from right to left and back again, at the same time holding it firmly and with considerable force till finished.

It will be obvious that burnishers may be made of soapstone and other substances, to answer a similar purpose as metal burnishers 5 and, also, that theburnishers may be heated by induction through the axis of the burnishers. As neither of these modifications are of substantial difference from my invention, I wish to have itunderstood that I include such modications as embodying the substance of my invention.

I would also state that I do not limit myself to the use of the two burnishers having an undulating or wave-like surface, as plain-surface burnishers do the work equally well, though I believe that the undulating surface does it a little faster. I therefore desire it to be understood that my invention includes burnishers made in either form as embodying the substance of nishers, an adjustable-pianisher7 for the purmy invention. pose hereinbefore set forth.

Having now described my invent-ion, I will 3. In combination with two rotating burproceed to set forth what I claim and desire to nishers, jets of gas-ame for heating the same., Secure by Letters Patent of the United States: l substantially as hereinbefore set foth.

1. Combining two rotating burnishers with l C. H. HELMS.

a frame, operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. In combination with two rotating bur- Witnesses PHILIP W. KAPPER, C. L. BARRITT. 

